From Rodney Bridle, British Dam Society
Fred Pearce reports on yet another anti-dam publication
(18 November, p 6).
There are many problems with dams, but there are important benefits, too, and
dams will be needed to meet the growing demand for food and power. I do wish
these sorts of reports would help those people who work on dams by expounding
the environmental drawbacks and then explaining how they might be tackled.
I listened earnestly to the speakers at the recent launch of the World
Commission on Dams’ report in the hope of developing an understanding of how
they would address the continuing need for large quantities of food and power.
Maritta von Bleberstein Koch-Weser of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and
Medha Patkar of the Struggle to Save the Narmada River campaign, a member of the
commission, failed to help me understand how to improve matters. Please, the
starving millions are waiting for us—give us some scientific pointers on
how to do dams better, or alternatives to dams.
London
